Rim punching device



May 12 1942 A. E. BENNETT 2,282,636

RIM PUNCHING DEVICE Filed oct. 3o, 1940 Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES Crane Illinois Co., Chicago; Ill., a corporation of Application october so, 1940, serial No. 363,405

s claims. V(o1. .z- 1) This invention relates to the manufacture of water closet bowls and more particularly to a novel template or jig for guiding perforating means into predetermined spaced-apart positions on the bowl rim whereby the flush openings are produced in the bowl rim for'the passage of water into the soil chamber.

One of the more important objects of this invention lies in the provision of a flanged member approximating the shape of a closet bowl seating rim and which is adapted to fit over the underside of the rim while it is still detached from the rest of the xture in the normal course ol' manufacture and which functions to guide an aperturing device in such a manner that the rim ushing water passages are cut inthe rim at a predetermined desired angle.

To overcome the prior disadvantages of punching each opening separately by means of an individual guide, as will be more fully explained subsequently, the present invention was conceived, namely a punching guide means in which there are the same number of guides as there are to be flushing holes in the closet bowl rim, thereby making it possible to punch the entire complement of holes necessary in a closet rim at a uniform angle with respect to the rim and bowl walls and at a predetermined distance apart without the objectionable inaccuracies of the moving guide previously used for the purpose.

With the above and with other objects and advantages in view, my invention comprises `certain features of construction which will hereinafter be described in detail in connection with the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a closet bowl particularly showing the rim punchings useful for the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an exterior plan view of the positioning jig embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is an external vertical View thereof in fragmentary section. Y

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the cutting portion of one form of a conventional aperturing device which may be used with the present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like throughout the drawing.

By way of introduction to a more detailed description of my invention, and in order to more clearly explain the contribution I have made to the art, I deem it desirable first to explain briefly the cycle of operations in a closet bowl.

Referring to Fig. 1, the closet bowl casing,

parts water inlet 2, and outlet 3. When the flush valve (not shown) cooperating with the bowl is actuated, water-hows through the inlet 2 into the chamber 4 whence ajfractional portion of the flow is diverted through the opening 5 into the chamber 6 of the rim 1. The water flows completely around the upper part of the closet bowl throughY the rim chamber 6; discharging through the rim apertures or punchings 8 into the soil chamber Y9 thereby completely flushing thek whole inside wall-portions thereof. Thel main portion of the water lentering the chamber lll is diverted into the chamber I2 through'side passageways not shown in the drawing. Fromthe chamber l2 a jet'of water is directed through the jet opening ID into. the Siphon chamber ll. .The jet and the rim punchings cooperatefto supply a` sufficient quantity of water to completely fill the chamber vIl and start a siphon which acts .to

draw the soil and excess water` out of the soil Y chamber of the closet.

For the purpose ofv economy of operation a closet bowl must be designed to use as little water as is consistent with elcientoperation and for this reason the number. of rim punchings is kept at a minimum to provide satisfactory washing of the bowl walls. The spacing lofther rimpunchings, therefore, is so arranged that there is relatively little overlap of-, the wall areas washed by adjacent punchings. Thus it is quite necessary that the alignment of the. punchings be held within Vreasonably close tolerances with relation to one another and with respect to the rim and bowl walls. This has become even more necessary inrecent years with the introduction of the quieter, more positivecleaningwhirlpool action fixtures in which the rim openings are punched atan angle as shown in Fig. 1, in order-to give the desired swirling action to the water within the soil chamber.

Due to the complicated interior passageways 'of most ceramic closet bowls, their component parts are ,rst castvseparately and subsequently` joined together with a ceramic binder when dry enough to support their own weights..Y One of these parts made separately is therim, designated generally in Fig. 1 with the numeral L In the past eachrim vperforation has been made either by punching entirely by hand without any guide means and moreor less guessing at the angley of .inclination or else, as previously eX- plained, by the use of an individual guidemoved along the rim for eachl perforation. Both of these methods obviously resulted in variations of generally designated I, is provided with the usual greater or. .lessdegree in the angle ofthe perforespect to the walls of the bowl.

rations both with respect to the rim and with This, in turn, was productive of an irregular bowl wash, occasionally leaving unrinsed surfaces due to too great a variation from the proper angle. This was suiciently serious at times to causerejection of the entire closet fixture because of its poor iiushing or cleaning action. Despite the urgent and long existing need for some means of improving rim-punching technique no one to my knowledge has heretofore produced a device `which renders Ythe operation so simple and yet so effective and precise as the means which I have discovered. Actual use of this device over a considerable period has proved beyond a doubt that it is practicable and that it substantially eliminates the previous rejection of closet bowls due to improper alignment of the rim punchings.

Referring to Fig. 2, this is but one exemplification of my invention in which the numeral I3 designates an oval formed plate approximating the size and shape of the underside of a closet bowlrim. The embodiment shown is preferably of sheet form for use with conventional flat-rim closet bowls but it will be readily apparent that it may also be curved for use in the production of the curved-rim body conforming closet bowls, for instance, such as is disclosed in Design Patent No. 101,441.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 2 shows one form of my invention used in making the angular or inclined rim punchings of a whirlpool action closet bowl such as that illustrated in Fig. 1. It should be quite apparent, however, that such a device would .be equally applicable to straight through or vertical punchings used in the older conventional types of fixtures. The

guide means, generally designated I3, is of a shape approximating the-underside of a closet bowl rimsuch as 1.

For convenience of description, the guiding device may be divided into three interrelated parts:

I. A formed plate yI 3 having approximately the same configuration or contour as the rim face of the closet bowl,

II. A number of spaced-apart and substantially perpendicular ribs extending from the inside periphery of the plate I3 and so dimensioned as to cooperate with the insid'e periphery of the bowl rim to thereby position the plate I3 transversely immovable but easily removable perpendicularly from the rim upon completion of the rim-punching operation, and

III. A plurality of hollow guiding members I9 either integral or otherwise firmly attached to the plate I5 and adapted to receive a fitted cutting or punching tool I8 and cooperating theremovable transversely upon the closet bowl rim. Of course, for the purpose of my invention, these extensions may .be placed on the outside periphery or in some cases may even be dispensed with, or other holding means may be used for the plate. To produce the openings 8, I have found that a cylindrical boring device as shown in Fig. 4, and generally designated I8, is most satisfactory, although it need not necessarily take the form illustrated. The end'20 is sharpened as shown and, with a combination of rotative and axial forces upon the opposite end, such tool has been found to be peculiarly adaptable to making clean circular openings in raw ceramic materials, such as unred clay. Thus, to cut the rim punchings 8, the sharpened end of the tool I8 is fitted into each of the predeterminately positioned guiding tubes I 9 in turn and the holes are thus cut by forcing the sharpened edge 20 through the normally bottomside I6 of the rim 'I. It is thereforeapparent that one of the more important advantages of my invention, as stated, is that the position of the guiding device I3 need not be disturbed until all of the holes have been cut as described.

Since I have shown and described only the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is apparent that substantial modifications may be Vmade falling .within the scope of the appended with to guide such cutting tool into the rim of Y invention, the uniired rim 'I is taken before. it

has been joined to the remainder of the fixture in theY course oi? manufacture and is turned upsidevdown as shown in Fig. 3, the surface I4 being normally the topside and the surface I6 being normally the bottomside thereof. The guiding device I3 is then placed upon the rim with its flat undersurface I5a resting against the underside of the rim substantially as shown in Fig. 3. A number of perpendicular extensions I'I are formed upon the inside periphery of the guide plate I5 which, as stated previously, serve to position the plate-like member `I3 relatively imclaims.

I claim: y y

l. A guiding device for use in perforating a closet bowl rim while in the course of manufacture, comprising a formed plate having a shape vapproximating the shape of the face of said closet bowl rim, said formed plate having therethrough a number of apertures of predetermined spacing, said apertures being equal in number to the perforations desired in the rim, said formed plate having attached thereto a number of hollow rodlike members in angular alignment with the said apertures thereinand all said rod-like members at substantially the same angle both with respect to any horizontal plane and with respect to a line connecting the mid-points between the outer and inner peripheries of said plate,l said formed plate having at its inner periphery a number of perpendicularly extending uni-directional ribs or guides so disposed with respect to one another as to iit into snug Contact with the inside periphery of said closet bowl rim, whereby said guiding'device is held immovably on said rim while a suitable perforating `device isvdirected through each of said hollow rod-like members into said rim to produce the desired perforations.

2. A guiding device for use in perforating a closet bowl rim or the like while in the course of manufacture, comprising a formed plate having a shape approximating the shape of the face of said closet bowl rim, said formed plate having therethrough a number of vrapertures of predetermined spacing, said formedV plate having attached thereto a number of hollow rod-like members in alignment with thesaid apertures therein and all said rod-like members at substantially the same angle both with respect to any horizontal plane and with respect to a line connectsaid hollow rod-like members into said rim to produce the desired perforatons.

3. A guiding device for use in perforating a closet bowl rim or the like while in the course Y of manufacture, comprising a. formed plate having a shape approximating the shape of the face of said closet bowl rim, said formed plate having therethrough a number of apertures of predetermined spacing, said formed plate having attached thereto a number of hollow rod-like members in alignment with the said apertures l0 desired perforations.

therein and all said rod-like members at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane of said plate, said formed plate having a number of guides so disposed with respect to one another as to t into snug contact with the closet bowl rim, whereby said guiding device is held immov-V ably on said rim while a suitable perforating device is directed through each of said hollow rod-like members into said rim to produce the ALFRED E. BENNETT. 

